Along the Caravan Route
The Silk Road is one of the dream destinations of many travelers! Countless nations, merchants, and pilgrims traveled along this longest trade route in history. Time and again, adventurers succumbed to the fascination of this caravan route. You too can follow these traces through famous cultural landscapes! Besides the historic cities of Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand, which owed their splendor and significance to the caravanserais and artisanal crafts, you will visit Nukus with its valuable Savitsky Museum, Shakhrisabz, the city of Amir Timur (Tamerlane), and Termez, the ancient center of Buddhism. You will learn about the place that ancient monuments of Buddhists and Zoroastrians hold in modern Uzbekistan. Discover the heart of the Silk Road in Uzbekistan – a hospitable country where tradition and modern life coexist harmoniously.
Detailed 14-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Flight to Tashkent
You fly with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul to Tashkent and arrive early the next day.
Day 2: Arrival in Tashkent
Upon your arrival at midnight, you will be greeted by your tour guide and taken to the hotel to rest. Late breakfast.
In the afternoon, you embark on a city tour through Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent. Experience a modern, vibrant city with oriental flair: the Kaffal-Shashi Mausoleum, the Kukeldash Madrasah, and the famous Quran library. You can stroll through the pedestrian zone with its numerous street vendors and cafés and ride Central Asia’s only metro, which impresses with its artfully designed stations. Dinner at a local restaurant. Two overnights in Tashkent.
Day 3: Tashkent – Nukus – Khujayli – Nukus
Transfer to the airport, flight to Nukus – the capital of the autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan. Transfer to the hotel. Visit the world-famous Igor Savitsky Museum with its extensive collection of Russian avant-garde oil paintings. Then, proceed to the historic Mizdakhan Complex (20 km) – a gigantic cemetery with several mausoleums and mosques as well as countless graves from various eras, a mystical place with world clocks.
Dinner at a typical restaurant. One overnight in Nukus.
Day 4: Nukus – Ayaz-Kala – Toprak-Kala – Khiva
Drive to Khiva with a stop at Ayaz-Kala – an impressive ancient mud fortress. In the Kyzylkum Desert, at the foot of an eastern spur of the Sultan-Uwais Mountains, the massive ruins of one of the great fortresses of ancient Khorezm rise – Ayaz-Kala. Archaeological excavations date the Ayaz-Kala Fortress to the 2nd century BC. It was part of a system of border fortresses protecting the Khiva Oasis from the desert. Then, we visit the other mud fortress Toprak-Kala (the ancient capital of Khorezm, 2nd century AD).
In the afternoon, we reach the oasis city of Khiva. For dinner, we enjoy a regional specialty – “Shivit Oshi”, meaning “green noodles”. The dough is prepared with dill juice, giving the noodles their green color. Two overnights in Khiva.
Day 5: Khiva
Tour of the historic center of Ichan-Kala. The city emerged in the 8th century as a fortress and was an important trading center along the Silk Road toward the Caspian Sea and the Volga. Central Asia’s famous structures, now city landmarks, are located in Ichan-Kala: the Madrasah of Muhammad Amin Khan (19th century) and the Kalta Minaret (the “short minaret”), the Islam-Khodja Minaret, the Pakhlavan Makhmud Mausoleum, the Tash-Khovli Palace, and the Juma Mosque, originally built as a Zoroastrian temple, along with many other sights.
In the afternoon, we visit the Nurullabay Palace, built by local and German craftsmen. The German Mennonites lived peacefully in Khiva for a time, and their handcrafted products were highly valued by Khiva’s population.
Splendid dinner at the Khans’ summer palace, “Toza-Bog’” (minimum 8 people required).
Let the fantastic impressions of the day sink in.
Day 6: Khiva – Bukhara (420 km)
Drive through the Kyzylkum semi-desert (“Red Sand”) and the steppe to Bukhara. Picnic en route at an Uzbek “resthouse” teahouse. Arrival at the hotel in Bukhara. In the evening, you can explore Bukhara on your own. Dinner at a local restaurant. Three overnights in Bukhara.
Day 7: Bukhara
We begin our tour with the Ismail Samani Mausoleum and visit the Chashmai Ayub Mausoleum. Then, we continue our tour on foot. Bukhoroi Sharif (“noble Bukhara”) is a city with impressive market domes, active mosques, and madrasahs. Bukhara was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You feel transported to the world of One Thousand and One Nights, and it’s fascinating that teaching and learning still take place in the mosques and madrasahs, such as the Miri Arab Madrasah.
You can admire the “classic” architectural complexes of Lyabi-Hauz with its trading domes, several mosques, madrasahs, and the Dervish monastery Khanaka in the city center and understand why Bukhara bears the honorary title “noble city”. En route, we also visit market domes like Toqi Zargaron, Toqi Telpakfurushon, and Toqi Saraffon.
Day 8: Bukhara
Today, we visit the Chor Minor Madrasah, whose four minarets (Chor – four) and overall style resemble Indian architecture. Then, we drive to the summer residence of Bukhara’s last Emir – Sitorai Mokhi Khosa, meaning “The place where the moon and stars meet” in Persian.
Bukhara is one of the seven holy cities of the Islamic world. There are numerous currents in Sufism, and representatives of all orders were present in what is now Uzbekistan across different eras. The Naqshbandi Order had the greatest and most lasting impact. Bahauddin Naqshbandi was one of Tamerlane’s spiritual teachers. His philosophy was based on the principle: “God in the heart, work in the hands”. The Bahauddin Naqshbandi Memorial Complex was considered the “Mecca of Central Asia”.
In the afternoon, we explore Bukhara’s Jewish quarter and visit a over 400-year-old synagogue. Then, we visit a puppet workshop.
Day 9: Bukhara – Rabati Malik – Samarkand
Drive to Samarkand – one of the Pearls of the Orient, over 2,750 years old. En route, we stop briefly at the ruins of an ancient caravanserai and a Sardoba (water reservoir). Both date from the 11th to 14th centuries and testify to the many caravanserais that crossed this Silk Road route.
Samarkand – the city of One Thousand and One Nights – was considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world during the Middle Ages and has lost none of its fascination today. After arriving in Samarkand, we take a lunch break and then visit one of Uzbekistan’s landmarks – the famous Registan Square with its three unique madrasahs Ulugbek, Sherdor, and Tillya-Kori. The program also includes a visit to the palatial Gur-Emir Mausoleum, the burial site of the ruler Timur (Tamerlane).
Dinner at a local restaurant. Two overnights in Samarkand.
Day 10: Samarkand
Today, we visit one of the most significant pilgrimage sites in the Islamic world – the Tomb Complex of Saint Daniel. Then, we tour the Bibi-Khanum Mosque, once one of the largest sacred buildings in the Orient.
Next to the mosque lies one of Samarkand’s oldest bazaars – Siyob Bazaar. We have 30 minutes for a walk here. Then, we visit the Ulugbek Observatory, once the most important research center in Central Asia.
The Shakhi-Zinda Complex, or “Living King” – a burial site where members of Timur’s family are interred today. Samarkand – the “Rome of the East” – has always been a thriving trade and cultural center.
After a break, we visit a silk paper manufactory, founded by the Mukhtarov brothers. Thanks to their efforts, the ancient tradition of paper production using Samarkand technology was revived. Interestingly, the entire production process is done manually and can be observed by guests.
Dinner at the “Samarkand” restaurant, where you experience the culture of the country and its people up close.
Day 11: Samarkand – Shakhrisabz
Drive to Shakhrisabz via a mountain pass. Tour of the ruins of Tamerlane’s Ak-Saray Summer Palace, the Khazrati-Imam Mosque, the Kok-Gumbaz Complex, and the Dar-us-Saodat Complex.
Although Samarkand was the capital of Timur’s empire, Shakhrisabz was his birthplace and was meant to reflect the ruler’s power. The ruins of the summer palace remain monumental today, testifying to the former grandeur of Timur’s empire.
Dinner with a local family. One overnight in Shakhrisabz.
Day 12: Shakhrisabz – Termez
Drive to Termez (360 km), check-in at the hotel. Termez is one of Central Asia’s oldest cities, 2,700 years old. The city played a central role in spreading Buddhism in the East, from India to Surkhandarya.
Today, we visit the Archaeological Museum, the Al-Khakim-al-Termezi Mausoleum, and the Kirk Kyz Fortress.
Dinner at the hotel. One overnight in Termez.
Day 13: Termez – Tashkent
After breakfast, we continue our tours: First, we visit the ruins of the Buddhist monastery Fayaz Tepe, then the Sultan Saodat architectural complex, linked to the Sayyids from Termez. Then, we drive to the Buddhist Surmala Tower, which is 16 m tall.
In the afternoon, transfer to the airport. Flight to Tashkent. Dinner after arrival. One overnight in Tashkent.
Day 14: Tashkent – Return Flight
After an early breakfast, transfer to the airport for your return flight.
End of the Tour: Along the Caravan Route.
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